February 26, 2012
Morning Service

John continued last week reminding us that we are in a battle between good and evil.  He pointed out that the spirit of antichrist is always present.  He also reminded us we have been given an anointing (Holy Spirit) to teach us and help us along our journey.

1Jo 2:27 But the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true and no lie, and as He has taught you, abide in Him.

God has equipped us with all the things we need to succeed in our walk with Him. (IPeter 1:3)

1Jo 3:1-2 Behold what manner of love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God. Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.  (2)  Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He shall be revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

What a privilege for us to be called the children of God. 

Rom 8:15-17 For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption by which we cry, Abba, Father!  (16)  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.  (17)  And if we are children, then we are heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ; so that if we suffer with Him, we may also be glorified together.

 

  Jesus as God’s Son is heir to the full honor and glory of heaven and as we abide in Him, we are destined to be partakers with Him of His glory.  We do not know for sure what that will be, but we are promised to see Him as He is! (Verse 2)

 

1Jo 3:3 And everyone who has this hope on him purifies himself, even as that One is pure.

 

            This hope we have to one day see Him as He is, motivates us to imitate Him.  William Barclay put it this way, “The man who knows God is at the end of the road will make every preparation to meet Him.”

 

1Jo 3:4-9 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness.  (5)  And you know that He was revealed that He might take away our sins, and in Him is no sin.  (6)  Everyone who abides in Him does not sin. Everyone who sins has not seen Him nor known Him.  (7)  Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as that One is righteous.  (8)  He who practices sin is of the Devil, for the Devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed, that He might undo the works of the Devil.  (9)  Everyone who has been born of God does not commit sin, because His seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

 

John gives a clear definition of sin; a deliberate breaking of the law.  It is a choice not to obey God, but rather to obey ourselves.  If we are truly abiding in God and know someday we will see Him, it moves us to avoid sin at all cost.  As we grow in Christ, the Spirit begins to direct us to becoming the image of the God we serve.   Sin can have no part in that life.  Sin began with and belongs to the devil himself.  Jesus has conquered over sin and we, by His help, can enjoy that victory in our life.

 

1Jo 3:10 In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the Devil: everyone not practicing righteousness is not of God, also he who does not love his brother.

 

 

 

 

            If our lifestyle does not point to our commitment to serve Christ, we are only fooling ourselves.

 

1Jo 3:11-17  For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;  (12)  not as Cain who was of the evil one, and killed his brother. And for what did he kill him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's things were righteous.  (13)  Do not marvel, my brothers, if the world hates you.  (14)  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brothers. He who does not love his brother abides in death.  (15)  Everyone hating his brother is a murderer. And you know that no murderer has everlasting life abiding in him.  (16)  By this we have known the love of God, because He laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.  (17)  But whoever has this world's goods and sees his brother having need, and shuts up his bowels from him, how does the love of God dwell in him?

 

John again reinforces the theme of loving one another.  Verse 16 should be the central thought of our relationship with God and with our relationship with our brothers.  This answers the question of how do I love my brother?   We see a need we are able to fill and fill it.

 

 (IJo18-20)  My children let us stop just saying we love each other, let us really show it by our actions.  It is by or actions that we know we are living in the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before the Lord, even if our hearts condemn us.  For God is greater than our hearts, and He knows everything.

 

Thomas Kempis wrote:  “Man sees the deed, but God knows the intention.”  Our relationship with God is one of the heart.  If we truly believe with our heart (creating pure intentions) our actions will follow.

 

1Jo 3:21-24  Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have perfect confidence towards God;  (22)  and whatever we ask for we obtain from Him, because we obey His commands and do the things which are pleasing in His sight.

 

Some translations use boldness in the place of confidence.  It really means that when we are doing our best for God, it gives us a bold confidence that He hears and will answer our prayers.  The opposite is also true.  If we know we are not doing our best, our confidence dwindles away to nothing.

 

 (23)  And this is His command--that we are to believe in His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us to do.  (24)  The man who obeys His commands continues in union with God, and God continues in union with him; and through His Spirit whom He has given us we can know that He continues in union with us.

 

John loves to simplify everything for us so it is easy to understand.  We are commanded to believe in Jesus Christ for who He is.  He was very man (Jesus) but also very God (Christ).  That belief will then dictate our actions (loving one another).

 

William Barclay:

We cannot begin the Christian life until we accept Jesus Christ for what He is; and we have not accepted Him in any real sense of the term until our attitude to men is the same as his own attitude of love.

 

We are most like Jesus when we are loving each other.  (Duane Edmonson)

 

Do you believe Jesus was the Christ the very Son of God?  Upon believing that, does everything you do reflect that belief or reject it?